Online Shopping Tips: E-Commerce and You

With just a click of the mouse, shoppers can buy nearly any product online - from groceries to cars, from insurance policies to home loans. The world of electronic commerce, also known as e-commerce, enables consumers to shop at thousands of online stores and pay for their purchases without leaving the comfort of home. For many, the Internet has taken the place of Saturday afternoon window shopping at the mall.

These consumers expect merchants to not only make their products available on the Web but to make payments a simple and secure process. However, the same things can go wrong shopping in cyberspace as in the real world. Sometimes it is simply a case of a computer glitch or poor customer service. Other times, shoppers are cheated by clever scam artists.

A survey by AC Nielsen found that the top security concerns of America’s online shoppers were:

Just as shoppers should take measures to protect themselves in brick-and-mortar stores—such as protecting their PIN numbers when checking out and not leaving purses unattended—online shoppers also need to take sensible precautions. This guide offers advice on how to make your online shopping experiences enjoyable and safe.

How can you tell if a web site is secure? It uses encryption technology to transfer information from your computer to the online merchant's computer. Encryption scrambles the information you send, such as your credit card number, in order to prevent computer hackers from obtaining it en route. The only people who can unscramble the code are those with legitimate access privileges.

Of course, transmitting your data over secure channels is of little value to you if the merchant stores the data unscrambled. You should try to find out if the merchant stores the data in encrypted form. If a hacker is able to intrude, it cannot obtain your credit data and other personal information. Be sure to read the merchant's privacy and security policies to learn how it safeguards your personal data on its computers. (See tip 3 below.)

2. Research the Web Site before You Order

Do business with companies you already know. If the company is unfamiliar, do your homework before buying their products. If you decide to buy something from an unknown company, start out with an inexpensive order to learn if the company is trustworthy.

Reliable companies should advertise their physical business address and at least one phone number, either customer service or an order line. Call the phone number and ask questions to determine if the business is legitimate. Even if you call after hours, many companies have a "live" answering service, especially if they don't want to miss orders. Ask how the merchant handles returned merchandise and complaints. Find out if it offers full refunds or only store credits.

You can also research a company in Internet yellow pages, through the Better Business Bureau (see listing below), or a government consumer protection agency like the district attorney's office or the Attorney General. Perhaps friends or family members who live in the city listed can verify the validity of the company. Remember, anyone can create a web site.

Every reputable e-commerce web site offers information about how it processes your order. It is usually listed in the section entitled “Privacy Policy.” You can find out if the merchant intends to share your information with a third party or affiliate company. Do they require these companies to refrain from marketing to their customers? If not, you can expect to receive “spam” (unsolicited e-mail) and even mail or phone solicitations from these companies.

You can also learn what type of information is gathered by the web site, and how it is — or is not — shared with others. The online merchant’s data security practices are also often explained in the Privacy Policy, or perhaps a separate Security Policy.

Look for online merchants who are members of a seal-of-approval program that sets voluntary guidelines for privacy-related practices, such as TRUSTe (www.truste.org), Verisign (www.verisign.com), or BBBonline (www.bbbonline.org).

However, be aware that a strong privacy policy and membership in a web-seal program don’t guarantee that the web merchant will protect your privacy for all time. Policies can change. The company can file for bankruptcy and sell its customer data base. The web merchant might be purchased by another company with a weaker privacy policy. And the company’s data can be subpoenaed for law enforcement investigations or civil cases. You have little control over the use of your customer data in such matters.

Given all of these uncertainties, you will want to think about the sensitivity of the data that is being compiled about you when you shop online. We cannot prescribe the best approach to take. Each consumer has a different interpretation of what is considered “sensitive.”

The safest way to shop on the Internet is with a credit card. In the event something goes wrong, you are protected under the federal Fair Credit Billing Act. You have the right to dispute charges on your credit card, and you can withhold payments during a creditor investigation. When it has been determined that your credit was used without authorization, you are only responsible for the first $50 in charges. You are rarely asked to pay this charge. We recommend that you obtain one credit card that you use only for online payments to make it easier to detect wrongful credit charges.

E-commerce shopping by check leaves you vulnerable to bank fraud. And sending a cashier's check or money order doesn't give you any protection if you have problems with the purchase.

Make sure your credit card is a true credit card and not a debit card, a check card, or an ATM card. As with checks, a debit card exposes your bank account to thieves. Your checking account could be wiped out in minutes. Further, debit and ATM cards are not protected by federal law to the extent that credit cards are.

Providing your Social Security number is not a requirement for placing an order at an e-commerce web site. There is no need for the merchant to ask for it. Giving out your Social Security number could lead to having your identity stolen. (See PRC Fact Sheet 17, "Coping with Identity Theft," www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs17-it.htm.)

When placing an order, there is certain information that you must provide to the web merchant such as your name and address. Often, a merchant will try to obtain more information about you. They may ask questions about your leisure lifestyle or annual income. This information is used to target you for marketing purposes. It can lead to "spam" or even direct mail and telephone solicitations.

Don't answer any question you feel is not required to process your order. Often, the web site will mark which questions need to be answered with an asterisk (*). Should a company require information you are not comfortable sharing, leave the site and find a different company for the product you seek.

Most reputable e-commerce web sites require the shopper to log-in before placing or viewing an order. The shopper is usually required to provide a username and a password. Never reveal your password to anyone. When selecting a password, do not use commonly known information, such as your birthdate, mother's maiden name, or numbers from your driver's license or Social Security number. Do not reuse the same password for other sites. The best password has at least eight characters and includes numbers and letters.

Above the web site at the top of your screen is a rectangular window that contains the web site address (also called the URL, or Uniform Resource Locator). By checking that address, you can make sure that you are dealing with the correct company.

Don’t click on any link embedded within a potentially suspicious email. Instead, start a new Internet session from the beginning by typing in the link’s URL into the address bar and pressing “Enter” to be sure you’re directed to a legitimate web site.

Identity thieves send massive numbers of emails to Internet users that ask them to update the account information for their banks, credit cards, online payment service, or popular shopping sites. The email may state that your account information has expired, been compromised or lost and that you need to immediately resend it to the company.

Some emails sent as part of such “phishing” expeditions often contain links to official-looking web pages. Other times the emails ask the consumer to download and submit an electronic form. As many as five percent of recipients respond to them, becoming victims of financial loss, identity theft, and other crimes.

Remember, legitimate businesses don’t ask for sensitive information via email. Don’t respond to any request for financial information that comes to you in an email. Again, don’t click on any link embedded within a suspicious email, and always call the retailer or financial institution to verify your account status before divulging any information.

After placing an order online, you should receive a confirmation page that reviews your entire order. It should include the costs of the order, your customer information, product information, and the confirmation number.

We recommend you print out at least one copy of the web page(s) describing the item you ordered as well as the page showing company name, postal address, phone number, and legal terms, including return policy. Keep it for your own records for at least the period covered by the return/warranty policy.

Often you will also receive a confirmation message that is e-mailed to you by the merchant. Be sure to save and/or print this message as well as any other e-mail correspondence with the company.

When you shop within the U.S., you are protected by state and federal consumer laws. You might not get the same protection if you place an order with a company located in another country.

Under the law, a company must ship your order within the time stated in its ad. If no time frame is stated, the merchant must ship the product in 30 days or give you an "Option Notice." This gives you an opportunity to cancel the order and receive a prompt refund, or agree to the delay.

12. Learn the Merchant's Cancellation, Return and Complaint-Handling Policies

Even under the best of circumstances, shoppers sometimes need to return merchandise. Check the web site for cancellation and return policies.

Don't expect less customer service just because a company operates over the Internet. This is especially important if you are buying something that may need to be cleaned or serviced on occasion.

13. Use Shopper's Intuition

Look at the site with a critical eye. And heed the old adage, "If it looks too good to be true, it probably is."

If any of these questions trigger a warning bell in your head, you will be wise to find another online merchant.

As e-commerce becomes more common, there will be more cases of identity theft committed over the Internet. Imposters are likely to obtain their victims' identifying information using low-tech means like dumpster diving, mail theft, or workplace access to SSNs. But they are increasingly using the web to apply for new credit cards and to purchase goods and services in their victims' names.

The same advice for avoiding low-tech identity theft applies to shopping on the Internet. Many are mentioned in the above tips. Most important: Be aware of who you are buying from. And use true credit cards for purchases, not debit cards.

We recommend that you check your credit card bills carefully for several months after purchasing on the Internet. Look for purchases you did not make. If you find some, immediately contact the credit card company and file a dispute claim.

Order your credit reports at least once a year and check for accounts that have been opened without your permission. (See PRC Fact Sheet 17a , "Identity Theft: What to Do if It Happens to You," www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs17a.htm.)

Consumers using some brands of credit cards can get “virtual credit cards,” or single-use card numbers, that can be used at an online store. The randomly generated substitute 16-digit number can also be used to buy goods and services over the phone and through the mail but can’t be used for in-store purchases that require a traditional plastic card.

With this free service, you never need to give out your real credit card number online. Among the card companies offering it are Citibank and the Discover card.

A recent federal law enables shoppers to verify online purchases with merchants using an ìelectronic signature.î Usually, this process is nothing more than clicking on a box that says you accept the terms of the order.

The Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, also known as the E-Sign Act, is a complex law. It states that electronic signatures and electronic records used in interstate and foreign commerce will not be denied validity just because they are in electronic form. Further, the law says that online purchases do not need to be accompanied by the more traditional handwritten signature on a paper document.

Consumer advocates opposed the law because it lacks important safeguard against fraud. For example, the law does not require online merchants to comply with such standards as message integrity (security and accuracy in transmission), privacy of customer data, and authentication of sender.

The faults of the E-Sign Act require you to shop cautiously on the Internet. The tips offered in this guide will help you make sure the online companies you choose are secure and honest.

Listed below are web sites that provide additional information about shopping online.

www.bbb.org and www.bbbonline.org	The Better Business Bureau certifies web merchants with a privacy seal of approval. You can research merchants through the BBB and also report e-commerce fraud problems at these sites.
www.fda.gov/oc/buyonline	Created by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to provide shopping tips for buying online prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs on the web.
www.fraud.org	The National Fraud Information Center, a program of the National Consumers League, m aintains information about online scams and lets you file complaints online.
www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/glblalrt.htm	The Federal Trade Commission's online shopping advice.
www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/online/auctions.htm	The Federal Trade Commission's tips on Internet auctions.
www.ic3.gov	The FBI's Internet Fraud Complaint Center allows you to report suspected cases of Internet and e-commerce fraud.
www.lookstoogoodtobetrue.com	Federal law enforcement and industry task force helps prevent consumers from becoming victims of an Internet fraud schemes.
www.onguardonline.gov	FTC, other federal agencies, and the technology industry offer advice on identity theft, phishing, spyware, spam, online shopping and more.
www.safeshopping.org	Online shopping tips provided by the American Bar Association.
www.shopthenet.org	The Direct Marketing Association's site of member merchants who comply with the federal "Mail or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule" that requires, for example, deliveries in 30 days.
www.wiredsafety.org	Provides assistance, information and education to Internet users including identity and credential theft, online fraud and hacking.